Admission Could Hurt Kohl Allies

March 15, 1990|By Ray Moseley, Chicago Tribune.

WEST BERLIN — A Christian Democratic-led alliance suffered a possible major setback Wednesday to its hopes of winning East Germany`s first free election when one of its leaders admitted having worked for the Stasi secret police.

Wolfgang Schnur, 45, a lawyer who had represented dissidents during the Communist regime of Erich Honecker, resigned as leader of the Democratic Awakening movement after making his admission, according to West Berlin Christian Democratic leader Eberhard Diepgen.

Democratic Awakening is one of two conservative groups allied with the Christian Democrats in the campaign for Sunday`s election. West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl personally forged the alliance, so Schnur`s resignation was a blow to him as well as to his party.

Schnur had been mentioned as a possible prime minister if the alliance won.

In the early stages of the campaign, the Social Democrats appeared to be running away with the election. But polls a few days ago showed a sudden surge in support for the Christian Democrats that put them dead-even with the Social Democrats.

A citizens` committee in Schnur`s hometown of Rostock said last week it had found evidence that he informed on church and dissident groups to the secret police. Schnur, who collapsed after the allegation surfaced and is now partially paralyzed in a hospital, steadfastly denied the charge.

But Diepgen said Schnur admitted in a hospital conversation that he had passed information to the now-disbanded Stasi. Diepgen then drove directly to West Berlin, without bothering to inform other Democratic Awakening leaders, and read a statement by Schnur at a news conference.

Schnur`s resignation came just as the alliance campaign crested with speeches by Kohl Tuesday in Cottbus and Wednesday in Leipzig.

The chancellor was repeatedly interrupted by shouts of ``Helmut!,``

``Helmut!`` from a crowd of 8,000 in Cottbus as he assured East Germans they had nothing to fear from German unification and would share in the wealth of the market economy.

His performance contrasted with one the same day in East Berlin by Social Democratic leader Ibrahim Boehme, whose speech indicated that the Christian Democratic gains had put his party on the defensive.

The Social Democrats in some recent polls were given more than 50 percent of the vote. The latest poll shows the Christian Democrats with 36 percent to the Social Democrats` 35. The former Communist Party, which now calls itself the Party of Democratic Socialism, is in third place with 15 percent or less in most polls.

Some political observers in Bonn attribute the Christian Democratic comeback to two principal factors:

- Voters want unification as soon as possible and have come to realize that the Christian Democrats are offering it to them on a much faster timetable than the Social Democrats.

- Voters may have become fearful that if a Social Democratic government is elected in East Germany, West Germany will be slow to come forward with promised financial aid.

But much of the Christian Democratic success also can be attributed to Kohl. More than any other German politician, he has pushed the drive for unification, and he responded to East German concerns by offering a currency union of the two countries when his own officials thought such a step was premature. Kohl, in his campaign speeches in Cottbus and Leipzig, skillfully dealt with each of the major concerns that have troubled East Germans.

Addressing fears that they could lose the social benefits accorded under Communist rule, Kohl let them know that West German social benefits are even more generous.

He told retirees that, far from reducing their pensions, he would give them ``a modern pension system such as we have in the West.``

He said savings accounts would not be penalized when currency union occurs, and small savings would be exchanged at the rate of one East mark to one West mark-even though the East mark is worth far less.

Kohl also dealt with the East Germans` inferiority complex vis-a-vis their Western cousins. He said West Germany was the largest exporting nation in the world, a land of intelligent and hard-working people, and the East Germans also were intelligent and hard working.

``Why should that which has worked in West Germany not succeed here?`` he said. ``You will have the same abundant society we have had.``

By contrast with Kohl`s upbeat message, Boehme in Berlin gave a defensive speech that attacked the Christian Democrats rather than focusing on Social Democratic policies. Boehme complained the Christian Democrats were trying to buy votes by giving away bananas, which are scarce in East Germany, and beer. ``We are not going to let this peaceful revolution be reduced to the level of a banana republic,`` he said.

Boehme`s lack of political experience showed most clearly when he tried to hold a news conference. Twice he allowed reporters to corner him for interviews that turned into mob scenes instead of taking his place at the podium.

He finally took his seat, but gave flip answers to reporters whose questions apparently nettled him. To one, he said his first priority if he is elected would be to get a good night`s sleep.

One striking thing about the campaign has been the starring role taken by West German politicians rather than the East Germans actually seeking office. In the opening weeks, West German Social Democrat Willy Brandt held the limelight. More recently, it has all been Helmut Kohl`s show.